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Redevelopment of Current Cities
After placing cities under an expansion cap, the focus needs to shift towards redeveloping and repurposing the city into a more sustainable design. This can be done through rezoning land, building new buildings where old ones exist, and refurbishing of current neighbourhoods. Many cities have plans in action that are doing just that. The City of Calgary for example is currently developing the East Village project on the east side of Downtown Calgary from older buildings and unused lots that are seen as a rougher area in the downtown core, into an area that will have several high density residential properties and emphasis to the walkability of the area. Plans for the East VIllage project are readily available to everyone via the website as well as at the development office located in the heart of the future east village. Rezoning Cities have the ability to rezone areas once designated as one land use tye into another to fit with current needs of that area. THis is primarily done where the area has become somewhat obsolete due to its location, or if the land is at a premium for projects such as new LRT or transit locations. Commercial Land to Residential Land One of the most effective ways to rezone is to turn older commercial areas into areas designed for residential use. Mostly, this would be high density residential land that would have multi-land use functionality. Precautions When rezoning, it is important to consider some precautions. Firstly, industrial land may be contaminated and may not be suitable for residential or commercial use. Even a long decommissioned industrial site may still have trace contaminants from any number of incidents over the operational history of that site. This is why many industrial sites will remain as industrial sites even as a city looks to integrate more sustainable designs. Replace Old Buildings Eventually, all buildings reach the end of their life cycle. When that time comes, a sustainable city has an opportunity to evaluate what is needed in that space. New buildings can be designed with new technologies and help in the cities goals to approach sustainability. Additional Living Space When buildings are replaced, one of the primary concerns is to develop new and desirable living space, especially nearer to downtown areas. Buildings like this may bring new people into new areas of the city and allow for that area to be some what rejuvenated by the influx of people. However there is another way to attract people into new areas of a city. Create New Commercial Space When used in conjunction with new living space, new commercial space with focus on restaurants, bars, and entertainment can help to rejuvenate an area of a city. Through the use of courtyards, walking streets, and other pedestrian friendly access ways, a new entertainment area is sure to attract the cities younger populations towards the inner city. Replacing former buildings with these multi-use type buildings is a great way to allow a city to approach more sustainability with the space that is already there. Repurposing of Old Buildings Instead of tearing down every old building within a city, a more fiscally responsible way to handle aging buildings is to refurbish and repurpose these old buildings into what the city sees is needed currently. This can be done in conjunction with the replacing of old buildings allow an areas history and character to remain while being updated into a new sustainable community. What Once Was Old is New Again One way to create interest in a new area is to create renovated and desirable apartments and offices in a previously less desirable building within a budding new area in the town. This is a lot less expensive then re building and entire complex and may lead to an area with history in the city retaining its characted while updating every thing at the same time. Some good examples of areas where this has happened is the Inglewood neighbourhood and the Mission neighbourhood of Calgary, Alberta. Buildings here have been turned into new office space, restaurants, every type of shop imaginable and apartments. New buildings in these areas are commonly built to match the existing character of the buildings creating a blend of history and sustainability with a matching character. Create Multi-use Areas When redeveloping existing buildings, it is important to consider what the area needs. If the area already has lots of residential space, maybe building some offices in the area is a better idea than more apartments. By balancing the types of uses in an area, a city can hope to attract people who live close to where they work and reduce the need for cars in the neighbourhood. In conjunction with a good transit oriented design, this will increase the sustainability in the city. It is also important to consider what the new residents and tenants in the area are going to do with their free time. Encorporation of shops, restaurants, bars and other entertainment properties, potentially at street level of the repurposed buildings, can aid in the cities search for sustainable design.With all amenities in the direct area, a city can approach a more walkable city. Urban Agriculture By using rooftops, green space and even just small planter boxes in an area it has been shown to increase the living conditions of the neighbourhood and more. When identifying an area for redevelopment, consideration for urban agriculture is something that should be considered further.